


A Horde of Dragons

by Hexentia



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Anime/Manga Fusion, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow To Update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-06 14:18:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15196586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexentia/pseuds/Hexentia
Summary: Gu-En, Abi, and Shu-Ten had all grown so much, but no matter how much time had passed, one thing remained the same for all three of them. Zeno had never come to see them.Hmph, well then. If that yellow doofus wouldn’t come to them, they would wait for him to join them in the skies above, or you know, they could just to go to him.-----On hiatus until further notice.





	1. Chapter 1

In their own separate directions, the first Hakuryuu, Ryokuryuu, and Seiryuu trudged forward in the snow, away from each other and their fourth brother, Ouryuu. They didn’t know where they would go or how long they would stay at the places they reached. All they knew was that, for better or for worse, they had just started the next part of their lives.

Gu-En could easily admit that he was a bit nervous to leave the castle. After all, a good portion of his life had been spent there. When he had begun his time as a Dragon Warrior, he had been twenty-four. Sixteen years had passed, and he was now forty. In a few years, he would joke to his son that he and his brothers were late bloomers, not leaving their home even though they were all adults. For now, though, he was content on just wandering northwest toward the mountains. He wanted to see if he could climb the mountain’s steeps with his claws rather than just walking up the paths typically used by travelers and merchants. Sure, he couldn’t scale them as fast as Shu-Ten and his leg could, but it would be a fun challenge. Plus, there was always the possibility of settling down up in the mountains.

A few years ago, he had heard that the lands in the mountain ranges were surprisingly fertile. If need be, Gu-En could become a farmer and live off the land there. While amusing to think about, he could use his claws as a plow since he could expand his right hand. Many farmers nowadays used animals to plow the land, but he wasn’t quite sure if he wanted to carry any animals up the mountain. On the other hand, if he did have animals, he could always eat their meat if the crops didn’t grow well. He already knew what kinds of fruits and vegetables he liked, so he would just have to learn which plants bore fruit in the mountains’ soil. Heh, look at him already imagining the life of a farmer when he hadn’t even reached the base of the mountain yet.

Abi desperately wished to be away from those who wanted to use him for nothing more than their selfish desires. His king may have wanted his power to form the Kouka kingdom, but at least it would unite the people of the land. Those men who had kidnapped him had only wanted fame and glory for themselves. Never again, he had vowed. Never again would he let anyone see his eyes if greed was all they brought. Even with those eyes that the dragon god had bestowed upon him hidden away, his sight was unmatched. Sixteen years in service of his king and kingdom had done nothing to dull his vision. If anything, his field of vision was sharper than ever, and he knew his limits and when they were about to be reached. That eighteen-year-old brat who would pass out every time he used his powers was gone, replaced by the thirty-four-year-old man with a white cloth over his eyes. It might sound a bit odd, but he was looking forward to spending the next couple of years in solitude. However, he wasn’t planning to stay alone for the rest of his life.

In the long run, he hoped to settle somewhere near a body of water, maybe a river or a waterfall. He was a bit apprehensive about living with people who weren’t his brothers though because they would probably ask about his eyes. Abi really wanted to avoid that, but it wasn’t like he could stop them from asking. Only time could tell, but for the time being, he was perfectly fine with traversing the woods. Perhaps he would meet more birds like the one at the castle all those years ago. He had been Abi’s companion for so long that he had almost named it. Gu-En joked that the only reason the bird had stayed for so long was because they could both see their surroundings so well. Abi had blushed at that even if it was a bit of a backhanded compliment.

Shu-Ten looked forward to his newfound free time as a thirty-five-year-old bachelor. He already knew that his first destination would be a tavern, maybe a brothel afterward. Who knew? Well, it definitely wouldn’t be him while he was still sober. With his brothers not by his side or at his back, life would be weird for a while, if not a bit lonely. Not that he would ever admit that aloud, mind you. For as much as he teased his brothers and griped at them to get lost, he would miss them. He was as sure about that as he was that his hair was green.

He was also pretty sure that he would be the last of the brothers to settle down somewhere. Someplace with a lot of running or jumping room sounded nice. Maybe somewhere near a merchant trade route, so he’d have easy access to food and supplies. Living in a city just didn’t sound like a life he wanted. It was too crowded and noisy–oh god, he was starting to sound like Abi–and he was more likely to be recognized as one of the Dragon Warriors. Shu-Ten knew that settling down was going to be a huge part of his future, but presently, he opted to just shove it to the back of his mind.

* * *

As the years passed, the three dragons saw and experienced so many different things they hadn’t truly understood when fighting for the kingdom. They saw new views that made them awestruck. They tasted new cuisines with flavors that seemed to be dancing on their taste buds. They felt new textures in objects that looked so strong but crumbled upon touch. They smelled new scents that seemed to stay in their noses for hours. They heard sounds that were vastly different from those on the battlefield.

Gu-En learned what it felt like to fall off the side of a mountain.

Abi discovered how hard it was to get bees to stop trying to pollinate his hair.

Shu-Ten found out how many leaps it took him to flee a girl who insisted that his hair was made out of grass.

Gu-En was able to compare how comfortable the bed at the castle was compared to the floor of a cave in the mountains, which noticeably had his hip killing him when he woke up in the morning.

Abi learned how long it took him to wash his clothes in the river and to dry them.

Shu-Ten was amazed at how many merchants let him tag a ride on the back of their wagons.

Gu-En had decided to stay in the mountains in the end since the height made him feel close to his king.

Abi had been around nature for so long that he was able to identify the differences between the songs of birds, the trails of snakes, and much to his disgust, the defecations of wild boar.

Shu-Ten had been taught how to weave straw sandals to make some quick ling.

Gu-En had come across a village in a small valley of the mountains already farming their own crops. At the time, winter had long gone, and the snow already started to melt. He was led to the village by its inhabitants when he agreed to help them. Chunks of stone that had been separated from the walls of the valley due to snow freezing into ice had come tumbling down into the village and houses had been crushed. Families were still inside the debris of their homes, trapped. The villagers didn’t have enough manpower to carry all the bits and pieces of broken houses by themselves, so they were trying to reach out to others for help. Although a bit apprehensive about showing his hand to others, Gu-En wanted to help save the people trapped. His hand swelled and his fingers elongated, and he quickly started flinging chunks of the houses away. What he couldn’t throw was lifted, and another person was able to quickly get those who were trapped out. He was able to help free them in record time. After everyone was rescued, the villagers stood before him. They asked him to stay, and he agreed. They treated him like a hero, a neighbor, and a friend.

A year and a few months later, he married a woman who occasionally chided him about making sure not to poke holes through the laundry. She taught him much about working the lands in the back of the village where the fields for crops were. More than just plowing, Gu-En learned how to tell when certain vegetables were ready to be harvested. The one he became most knowledgeable about was potatoes, which he may or may not have called “ugly ass earth turds” when he first found out he would have to clean off the soil on them because they grew underground. A few weeks shy of three years since he left the castle, Gu-En and his wife had their first child, a boy with white hair and a right hand that matched his father’s. The village questioned the father and son’s hands, and Gu-En finally told them that he was a Dragon Warrior. Despite his requests, they never did quite manage to treat him like an equal again. The day his son was born was the day the village started to called him Lord Gu-En or Lord Hakuryuu.

Abi started to learn the less common roads used by travelers.

Shu-Ten had sniffed exotic spices from another country in a market and couldn’t smell anything until he woke up the next morning.

Lord Hakuryuu learned the local lullabies to sing his son to sleep, and he told him the occasional story about the Dragon Warriors at the castle, none of the warzones.

Abi had saved a town in the Water Tribe from bandits by telling the village’s leader how long they had until an attack hit them. He went on his way about an hour after giving the warning. There was a festival in the Fire Tribe’s territory he wanted to see. Apparently, it was to honor the spirits of the dead. The food at the festival had been delicious. Despite the popular belief, the Fire Tribe’s tastes tended to be more sweet and savory rather than spicy. Half a year later, Abi had returned to that village he had saved and spent a few weeks in the forest near it. His want for social interactions that were more than a brief hello and the exchanging of ling had finally made itself known. After his time of observing the village and its people from a distance, Abi decided to ask the village leader and elders if he could stay with them. They agreed almost instantly as they realized that he was the man who they owed their thanks to for warning them of the bandits.

At first, Abi stayed in the home of an elder, but with the help of the other villagers, a house was eventually built for him. He married three years after joining the village to a woman older than him by eleven months. She was a ninth generation seamstress, a trade he knew absolutely nothing about. Abi tried to help her, but more often than not, he would make mistakes. His mother-in-law once said that he did the worst darning she had ever seen. His wife’s family was different from what he had expected, to say the least. They encouraged the men to take care of the home while the females would bring home the money and food. His wife waved it off when he brought it up, saying how her family liked to shake up traditional ideas. Almost a year later, they had a daughter with beautiful blue hair and red markings underneath eyes that shined like gold, just like her father’s. Seeing the Seiryuu’s eyes on his daughter made Abi’s stomach clench. He confided in his wife that he didn’t want to have another child if the power of the dragon god would be passed on to them. She agreed, mentioning that she wasn’t sure her body could take another birth. Many people in the village had heard stories of the Dragon Warriors from the occasional stranger passing through town. Nothing really changed between Abi and the village, excluding the times when someone would call him Seiryuu and when his mother-in-law would crack a joke about his eyes being useless to the family business.

Shu-Ten taught himself how to catch fish with his right foot, a skill that blew the minds of the locals in a coastal town.

Lord Hakuryuu spent years bonding with his son who had eventually grown into his teens.

Seiryuu learned how to braid hair at his daughter's insistence.

Shu-Ten had been able to rank all of the taverns in the Earth, Wind, Water, Sky, and Fire Tribes’ capitals. The Wind Tribe had the best by far, and Shu-Ten knew that he was being completely biased. Over his travels across the kingdom, he felt his brothers settle and felt like it was his turn to follow suit. He had come across a few towns in the Earth Tribe’s territory, but they weren’t really good for anything past getting drunk and having a good time. That being said, it was in one of those boozed up towns that he had met the lady who kept him on his toes. He met her in the least glamorous way he could think of. Not even two steps into the closest tavern to the village’s entrance and his shoes had been puked on by a drunk that was barely able to stay on her feet. She had enough wits still with her to realize what she had done though. In the next second, she turned around and screamed to the barkeep that his first three drinks were on her. He spent the early stages of the evening getting as equally hammered as her, and in the dead of night, they somehow managed to stumble their way to an inn. The next morning greeted them with splitting headaches and naked bodies. He grumbled to her to not slam the door on her way out. He was surprised him when she responded by kicking him off the bed and pulling up the sheets as she rolled over. Later in the day when she woke back up, it was to an empty room that had been paid for. The rest of Shu-Ten’s time in that village was full of run-ins with that girl that they eventually just started seeking each other out. Days turned to weeks which then rolled into months. Having had enough of doing nothing but partying, and even though he knew his sudden departure might shock the girl, Shu-Ten said his goodbyes to her. Once more she shocked him by demanding he take her with him. He agreed easily enough. They traveled for days until they reached the Wind Tribe.

He and his companion opted to stay in a village in the southern Wind Tribe territory where the land was flat and sunrises and sets seemed to spread out toward the edges of forever. There were no mountains or forests to obscure the view, just Shu-Ten and her, the village, and endless skies begging to be flown through. He was soon able to get a job at the village’s vineyard as a grunt in the warehouses. The pay was good, and every so often, he was gifted a bottle of alcohol from the distillery. On one of their many nights of undrunken passion, Shu-Ten and his lady were able to conceive a child. It ended up being a girl, and like his brothers, his secret of being a Dragon Warrior had been exposed. Everyone in the village had heard of him and his brothers’ conquests with King Hiryuu, and while they were starstruck for a bit, they didn’t start worshipping him. As long as pulled his weight at the vineyard, the villagers really couldn’t have cared less if he was a normal human, a Dragon Warrior, or the dragon god itself.

Of course, the three Dragon Warriors’ experiences weren’t the only things that had changed. Their appearances, though still similar to their younger selves, were aged. Hair colors lost their sheen and became limp. Their values shifted from the good of the nation to the good of their families. Backs became hunched, and memories became a little hazy every now and again. After all, twenty-four years had passed since they disappeared from the castle. Gu-En, Abi, and Shu-Ten had all grown so much from back then, but no matter how much time had passed, one thing remained the same for all three of them. Zeno had never come to see them.

“Zeno, you idiot. Even though I said to come, you made me wait too long.”

“When we meet again, Zeno, you’re going to learn how much of a bad idea it was to make your brothers wait so long for you.”

 “Listen up, all of you, if a blond-haired guy ever comes by the village to see me, punch him and tell him that’s for making me wait too long!”

Hmph, well then. If that yellow doofus wouldn’t come to them, they would wait for him to join them in the skies above, or you know, they could just go to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I messed up with the Five Tribes, but by the time I realized it, I was already 2.8k words in, and I felt like I had to commit. To be honest, I'm not all that happy with the way this chapter turned out, so I might rewrite it later.
> 
> Also, this chapter has a section with self-ableism in it.

When all was said and done, the red dragon god viewed his descension from the heavens to walk among the humans as his best decision. He had spent some odd number of centuries watching the humans from the skies above. He observed them as they evolved with their successes and failures. He saw how they erected their civilizations and cultures. They had created languages, religions, trade, and so much more from nothing. Humans were so intriguing to the god. No other creature of the earth seemed to have the learning capabilities the humans possessed. However, despite how much they achieved, the red dragon god felt that they still lacked much.

There was constant fighting between the tribes the humans had managed to grow. Humans always seemed to have something against each other. A certain way a tribe traded with its neighbors could be enough to set someone off. Of course, someone trying to conquer territory already claimed was a surefire way of starting problems, too. The red dragon god just wanted a way to help the humans correct the error of their ways. He wanted them to learn to love and cherish each other as he had them. Sure enough, however, there was a way for the god to interact with the humans on a more personal level. The god would have to become human himself.

Like many things, the process of becoming human was extremely complicated and in its own right, tedious. Unfortunately, the dragon god’s body couldn’t magically transform into one with a human appearance. Instead, he would have to create a human vessel, and then, his soul would have to be transferred to the vessel. That part sounded easy enough given how much celestial magic the gods possessed. With the right amount of magic, a god could transfer or replicate any part of themselves to something or someone else. Creating a vessel used a relatively small amount of celestial magic, and transferring a soul took about twice as much as that, still not a whole lot.

What would prove to be problematic, however, was keeping the god’s dragon body alive. If a god’s body was to perish while uninhabited, the soul would then enter the reincarnation cycle after its immediate body withered. Keeping a god’s body alive was difficult, to say the least, but it could be done. However, doing so would take a tremendous amount of magic, more than the red dragon god had by himself. He would have to ask his siblings for help. The white, blue, green, and yellow dragon gods would do almost anything for their red brother, so they agreed to grant his request.

The gods immediately started creating his vessel, and within the hour, a human body that was strong and resilient but swift and agile was the finished masterpiece. The red dragon god’s siblings claimed that with hair the color of blazing crimson and eyes that shined like orbs of amethyst, the vessel seemed to have an ethereal beauty to it. Soon after the vessel was completed, the five dragon gods began transferring the red dragon god’s soul to the human body. Appropriately, he assumed the name Hiryuu. If the god was to be honest, Hiryuu was nothing more than a title, but it was short, sweet, and simple.

For all the dragon gods’ hard work, there were two prices to pay. To both descend to the human world, Hiryuu would lose his powers until he ascended back up to the heavens. Once he ascended back to the heavens, he would need to replenish his store of celestial magic, which could take millennia. Subsequently, this would lock the red dragon god out of the human realm for some time, but hopefully, he would only need to go to Earth once.

The brothers said their goodbyes the same day later in the evening and prepared to send Hiryuu to Earth. Hiryuu’s arrival on Earth was announced in the early morning by a crimson dawn.

Once his feet touched the earth’s surface, Hiryuu started toward the Fire Tribe in the northeast. There were two reasons in particular why he chose to visit them first. Number one, the Fire Tribe was the tribe that used to worship him the most. He was not, unfortunately, above exhibiting favoritism. The second and more pressing reason was they seemed the most problematic of the five tribes. Along with causing skirmishes with other tribes, they fought amongst themselves. From what he had seen from above, the Fire Tribe had the every-man-for-himself mentality and often chose to forsake each other unless it somehow benefited them. Hiryuu hoped to change that and unite them. After making the Fire Tribe a cohesive unit, Hiryuu wanted to bring all the tribes together.

* * *

Honestly, Hiryuu never intended to become the leader of the Fire Tribe. Well, he had in a way. He wanted to show the Tribe how much better their lives would be if they worked together. Still, he had wanted to lead them, not be their lord. Unfortunately, they were stubborn and held steadfast in their ways. It seemed that the only way the Fire Tribe would come together was if there was an even more stubborn individual who forced them together, and Lord Hiryuu would have to be that individual.

Being the head of the Fire Tribe could be quite tiresome at times. Indeed, the Tribe was doing the best it ever had financially. Sure, there were much fewer people starving because of food shortages, and yes, trade with other tribes was definitely going much smoother than it had been before he descended. However, to make sure everything was up and running so well, Hiryuu had to be vigilant of the people constantly. Sometimes, if he looked away for more than a day, the rich would trample over the poor and those in a position of authority abused their power. He’s already had to replace some of the authoritative figures.

He might need to appoint sub-lords to certain areas to keep everything under control.

* * *

During his time with the humans, Lord Hiryuu realized that they believed their souls would ascend to the heavens to be with the gods they worshiped or rather used to worship. He wasn’t exactly sure how this belief came into existence. Perhaps the people had just assumed that if they worshiped and revered their gods enough, they could join them in the skies. No such luck. The heavens were only able to hold so many souls, those which belonged to the gods.

However, there was a gift the gods bestowed upon a few when they reincarnated. The humans called these people priests apparently. They were the souls who were given the ability to hear the gods whenever they wanted to communicate with the humans. It was a reward to the humans who never wavered in their devotion to the gods. Not many people in the Fire Tribe had this gift anymore. The tribe that had the most would have most likely been the Wind Tribe, the tribe that worshiped his green brother more than others.

* * *

On the day of Hiryuu’s coronation as the first king of Kouka, the majority of the kingdom was present. While the leaders of each tribe had consented to Hiryuu’s ascension from a lord of the Fire Tribe, they were anxious to see how the kingdom would benefit from their unification. Their hopes were high, if not shadowed by a hint of doubt.

* * *

King Hiryuu grunted as his cheek scraped against the wooden stage when he was thrown down by a pair of soldiers. His hands that were tied behind his back were lifted up at a painful angle and stayed. Before he could look up, he heard the sound of metal slide across metal as a quick pace. Spears of the two guards who threw him were crossed above his head at his nape. Hiryuu couldn’t see them, but he knew that the heads of the spears were right next to the sides of his neck. He had no doubt that if he moved too much, he would cut himself on a sharp edge.

He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t a little afraid. It wasn’t for himself though. This fear was for the humans after his head. Even though he was mortal for the time being, his brothers in the heavens wouldn’t allow anything lethal to strike him. For all his time on Earth, Hiryuu’s never been in a lethal situation. Well, he has, but he was never in any real danger where he couldn’t defend himself. For having never wielded a weapon when he was a god due to his dragon form, Hiryuu was quite the skilled swordsman. On the battlefield, the king was an indomitable force, able to cut down his enemies with just a swing of his sword, not to mention his strategic abilities.

Hiryuu wasn’t afraid to die, but he was afraid of what his brothers would do to the people of the land. Unlike him, the white, blue, green, and yellow dragon gods didn’t love the humans. Sure, they appreciated them for worshipping them and giving them offerings, but they were nothing compared to the red dragon god. If Hiryuu’s assumption was correct, he had no doubt that the gods would strike down the humans where they stood without hesitation or mercy. He was correct.

Down in front of the stage, Hiryuu could hear citizens crying, some begging the traitors to spare him. Some of them were praying to the gods to save him. A few even said that the dragon gods would bring ruin to them all if they tried to kill him. Hiryuu had a feeling that those people could hear the voices of the gods.

Almost as if on cue, the sky trembled as the dragon gods descended to Earth. They roared in anger and bared their teeth at the soldiers who betrayed Hiryuu. The yellow dragon god sent a breath of fire toward the thing holding Hiryuu’s hand up, simultaneously burning it and releasing Hiryuu. Out of fear or overconfidence, the traitors grabbed Hiryuu and placed a sword against his throat. The humans demanded that the gods leave, or they would kill Hiryuu. The gods were not fooled by the humans. They already knew that whether the gods were there or not, the humans would try to kill Hiryuu. This demand only served to anger the gods further.

The blue dragon god narrowed its eyes at the humans closest to Hiryuu, and as a unit, they slumped to the ground. Seeing a bit of the gods’ powers had many of the soldiers trying to run off the stage and into the masses of civilians, but their escape was stopped by the white and green gods. The gods’ legs batted the humans back toward the stage. A few of the humans gained broken bones on impact, others with lacerations only. The dragon gods would have gladly unleased their full rage on the humans if it hadn’t been for the king’s intervention. Despite what they had done to him, Hiryuu asked his dragon brothers to spare the humans.

The dragon gods demanded to know why he would ask that of them even though the humans betrayed him. To the gods, his answer was foolish and naïve, but they begrudgingly accepted his request nonetheless. However, no matter what their red brother said, it was clear that the humans weren’t as amazing as he thought them to be. With this incident, their hands had been forced.

One day later, his brothers in heaven brought him four males who would serve and protect him. They were the kingdom’s first generation of Dragon Warriors.

* * *

One day, an aristocratic family from the Sky Tribe, one of the first tribes that were united with the Fire Tribe, came to the castle. The family consisted of a father, a mother, two young boys, and an older girl on the cusp of adulthood. King Hiryuu had recently appointed the father to be the lord in the Sky Tribe’s eastern territories. The current visit was just an exchanging of formalities. A “thank you for giving my family this incredible honor, my king” here and a “no need for thanks as I believe you to be the best candidate” there. After a few bows and cups of tea later, the family was off to their new lands. Even though the meeting had just been a simple exchanging of words, King Hiryuu truly did believe the family competent to preside over a part of the Sky Tribe. Their family had been a part of said tribe for generations and understood how things ran and how to sway the people in a just manner.

A few months later, King Hiryuu and the Four Dragon Warriors visited the region that family had been ruling over. According to soldiers stationed in that region, the family had done a remarkable job in such a short time. Hiryuu wanted to see the change with his own eyes, and if the situation was as great as it appeared, he would offer them his thanks. Shu-Ten kept teasing him about how he just wanted to see the daughter again rather than see the region’s progress. Hiryuu could only sigh in exasperation. He had made a single comment about her beauty, and he hadn’t been able to shut the Ryokuryuu up about it ever since.

The carriage ride of to the Sky Tribe had been simple enough. There were no bandits trying to rob the coach nor did they pass over overly rough terrains. The only eventful bit of the ride was when Abi threaten to throw Shu-Ten out of the carriage for his snoring. Gu-En claimed that he would help, his right hand at the ready to expand. Zeno looked conflicted between defending his green brother or joining in as well. Hiryuu merely laughed at their antics. His dragons were too cute for their own good.

When they arrived in the town the lord was living in, King Hiryuu told the carriage driver to take them to the lord’s house. When the carriage pulled to a stop, King Hiryuu and his dragons exited onto a walkway of smooth stone that led to the house’s entrance. The five walked up the walkway to where the lord of the land stood with his family, offering the king their greetings. The lord and his family led the king and Dragon Warriors to a meeting hall. The guests were served the lady’s finest tea as they discussed the reason for the visit. The lord bowed and said that it was an honor to have the king in his region. When the evening had started to settle in, the lord offered to show the five where their quarters were, but the daughter interrupted, saying that she could do it. Everyone raised an eyebrow at her interruption, but it wasn’t declined.

On the way to their quarters, Abi asked the girl why the house was in the heart of the town. She told him that the house had been rebuilt in the center because the family wanted to be able to see in every direction in case any problems occurred. Hiryuu thought it was a good idea with this town’s geography. Like the castle, this town was protected in the back by a mountain, so the military would only have to defend the front instead of spreading out in each direction.

Their trip to the lord’s region had gone extremely well. The area still had a shortage of food, but many citizens were now living in homes instead of staying in back alleys. With the citizens off the streets, the lord was able to focus his efforts toward getting his people food, whether it be by trade via merchants from different tribes or expanding lands to give way to more farms and agricultural centers. For the most part, the people of the region seemed happy, too.

Over the next week, King Hiryuu and the woman continued to talk when he was at their home, and he felt himself grow a bit fond of her. It was a bit odd to feel this way. This fondness was much different from the kind he felt for humans in general. It was closer to how he felt for his brothers, but it was still different. Surely, this could be classified as the human emotion love. He had barely spent a week in her company. He would have to think this over at a later time. He and his dragons were due to depart back to the castle the next morning.

Before the group headed back to the castle, Hiryuu asked the girl if she would permit him to court her. She was obviously taken aback by the request, but she managed to stutter out a yes. Shu-Ten whooped from where he was eavesdropping. Hiryuu and the girl looked over to where he was just in time to see the Seiryuu thump Shu-Ten over the head. Gu-En sniggered at them while Zeno was trying to hush them all, but it was too late. They had been spotted. The Hakuryuu picked Zeno and Abi up and dashed out of sight. Shu-Ten cursed when he realized he had been abandoned and fled soon after.

The girl laughed as they left and commented that they were a cute bunch of guys, like a bunch of little kids. Hiryuu smiled at her and said he thought the exact same thing. Two years later, he married her. Despite being the king of Kouka, they were able to have a relatively small wedding consisting of her family, the Four Dragon Warriors, the servants of the castle and notable members of each tribe. Eleven months later, they had their first child, who they named Yak-Shi. Another two years later, and they had a beautiful daughter as well.

* * *

Once King Hiryuu had felt he eliminated the evils from the land and united the people, the red dragon god fell asleep within his vessel. With nothing holding the red dragon god’s soul to the body, it ascended back into the heavens. King Hiryuu was now completely mortal, and the red dragon god was with his brothers once more.

As time went on, King Hiryuu started to notice how human he had truly become. He became sick on multiple occasions, cured for the most part with rest and medical attention. There was always something lingering in his body though, something that none of the kingdom’s healers knew how to treat. It made his body shake, much to everyone’s confusion. Initially, the tremors were only in his right hand, but it started to travel along his side. His hole arm would rattle occasionally. The king could get the shaking to stop for the most part if he focused. However, the tremors eventually became worse. They spread from his right side to his left. For the most part, the tremors only came when he was resting in bed. It always felt weird when his jaw would rattle.

Although much subtler than the tremors, King Hiryuu also experienced bouts of stiffness. It occurred a lot in his hands whenever he was writing documents or letters. At first, he had dismissed it as the cramps he would sometimes get when he was doing paperwork for long periods of time. King Hiryuu’s voice gradually lost its commanding tone, too. While he never sounded weak, he became soft-spoken. Many of his attendants said that his voice became bland and somewhat cold. On the rare occasions that he raised his voice, the tone would soon go to monotone again, and at times, he would speak slower than he normally had. All in all, none of these things were huge inconveniences to him.

However, one day, King Hiryuu grit his teeth together out of frustration. For the umpteenth time that day, the king had lost his balance and fell against a wall. Currently, he was walking toward his daughter’s room. She had caught a fever earlier in the week, and he had taken to visiting her every day. It made him feel warm whenever she flashed a smile at him. He did this every day for the past week, and he had been fine. So why was today any different? He just couldn’t understand why this was happening. Maybe it was because of how rigid his spine had become or because of his left arm that would swing when he walked. He couldn’t be sure.

King Hiryuu did his best to hide his dwindling motor functions from the court officials and guests. After all, what kind of ruler can’t even control his body? Maybe… Maybe he wasn’t fit to guide Kouka’s people anymore. It was clear that if a war was started, he wouldn’t be able to help his soldiers. He would be more of a burden than help as he currently was. He was nothing like how he had been when the red dragon god first descended to the Earth. He shoved these thoughts to the back of his mind and continued toward his daughter once more.

Weeks past and King Hiryuu’s loss of balance became worse. He was no longer able to walk without assistance. He could almost always be seen with one of his dragons by his side. He was also almost never seen before two hours after sunrise. King Hiryuu had started to eat his breakfast and dinner in his bedroom, which was no longer shared with his wife. No one knew if the sickness was contagious, so to be safe, Hiryuu and his wife had moved into different living spaces, hers much closer to their children than his.

Feeling bad for their king, the Four Dragon Warriors took up the routine of visiting him during his meal times. It was during this time that their king started to have trouble swallowing foods that were tough and solid like pork. He had no problem swallowing broth. His favorite came from dumpling soup. His dragons had shared that piece of information with his children, who decided to try to make the soup themselves. It tasted awful, but he heartedly appreciated the gesture.

In his final month, the king had become bedridden. One morning he got out of bed to stroll through the royal gardens, but he fell before he was ever fully standing. His trembling legs that couldn’t open all the way wouldn’t move for him, and he lost his balance, unable to catch himself because of his permanently hunched back and stiff limbs. The fall broke his left ankle and knee, and his pelvis was severely bruised. He never walked again.

* * *

King Hiryuu looked toward the doors when he heard the wood shoved open to the sides. Much to his surprise, it was his son, Yak-Shi. Hiryuu held out his hand toward his son, who rushed forward to clasp it between his own hands.

Hiryuu raised an eyebrow at him and asked, “What are you doing in here, Yak-Shi? You know your mother doesn’t want you up here.

Cheekily, Yak-Shi said, “What, I can’t come visit my old man?

“You shouldn’t ignore your mother’s wishes like this, Yak-Shi. What if you happened to get sick as well? Who would be there for your mother and sister then?”

Yak-Shi’s grin faltered before vanishing completely. Stepping close to his father, Yak-Shi wrapped his arms around Hiryuu’s chest and buried his head in it. “I know… I know I should listen to Mother. She worries so much that one of us will get sick, too. She worries a lot, but she’s also sad. All three of us are.”

Hiryuu hummed in response. He had truly wanted to avoid making his family feel like this. It wasn’t fair to them.

Yak-Shi sniffled as he nuzzled his head farther into Hiryuu’s chest. “I just… I wanted to see you again, Father. It’s been lonely without you.”

Hiryuu brought his hand up and placed in on his son’s head, combing his fingers through Yak-Shi’s black hair. “I’ve missed you, too, Yak-Shi. The days can be quite lonely without your brilliant smile there to light up the room.”

“Father,” Yak-Shi’s lips trembled as he forced himself to speak, “You’re not going to be here much longer, are you?”

“Why do you say that?” Hiryuu asked quietly, his hand stilling. He wasn’t angered by the accusation, but he was sad that his firstborn could tell that he would have to grow up without his father.

“You never come out of your room anymore, and when you used to, you always had to have one of the Dragon Warriors with you in case something happened, and a few days before you stopped coming out, you were carried a lot, and even Ouryuu is rarely allowed to bring you your meals anymore, and… and…” Hiryuu inhaled sharply and held his son tightly in his arms.

“I’m sorry, my son. It is likely I won’t be here to see you grow into adulthood.” Yak-Shi’s breath hitched, and his shoulders started to shake. “However, know this – no matter where I am or how far apart we may be, I will always be supporting you and wishing you a wonderful life full of love, determination, success, and a health much better than my own.”

Along with Yak-Shi’s trembling, Hiryuu could feel his shirt dampen as his son started to silently sob. He continued to hold his son throughout the night. Both father and son fell asleep late into the night. Yak-Shi’s mother came to collect him in the morning.

* * *

A couple of days later, barely before dawn, Hiryuu was once more visited by people other than the two servants watching over him. Like Yak-Shi, these visitors were a lovely surprise. They were rather colorful, like always, and there seemed to be a slight pep to their steps. Hiryuu couldn’t help but wonder what put the Four Dragon Warriors in such a good mood. The last time he had seen one of them was when Zeno was still allowed in the room and held feed him, and even then, the atmosphere had been filled with sadness and regret. Today, however, he had a feeling he would be doing more than just eating, and he was right.

Together, the four had come up with the idea to take their king out to the courtyard. It wouldn’t be the grandest trip Hiryuu had ever been on, but it would allow him to feel the heat of the sun and breathe some fresh oxygen. The idea sounded wonderful, but one of them would have to carry him around, and Hiryuu didn’t want to burden his dragons. Of course, they would have none of it. They said they had heard that his hip had recently healed from when he fell and broke it, so they could carry him without hindering the healing process. Plus, they had already prepared food for the trip. Shu-Ten held up the woven basket as proof.

In the end, Hiryuu hesitantly agreed.

Gu-En walked to the side of the bed and slid his arms under Hiryuu’s legs and midback. Hiryuu didn’t bother wrapping his arms around Gu-En’s neck. He knew the other would never drop him. Gently, Gu-En hoisted his king up, and the group of five were on their way. They walked silently as to not wake up the queen or the prince and princess. It was unfortunate, however, that the royal family resided in the top floor of the castle. Walking down the stairs to the main floor had proven to be a trying task as the Dragon Warriors were constantly worried that Hiryuu’s ribs might be jostled. Also, they were trying their hardest not to be seen by any of the servants who were already up and preparing for the day.

Once the group had reached the outside, Hiryuu took in his first breath of fresh air in what felt like a decade. Immediately, he started coughing. It seemed that his lungs weren’t used to fresh air anymore. He felt a slender hand touch his back as it rubbed in small circles, trying to ease his breathing. As soon as the coughing had subsided, Hiryuu apologized to his dragons. With a look of concern on his face, Abi shakily said not to worry about it. They waited a bit longer for Hiryuu to catch his breath before continuing on.

The royal courtyard had been exactly as he remembered it. There was a large field of lush green grass in the center, surrounded by pavement that veered off in two directions. To the right was a beautiful flower garden that had stone lantern-like monoliths at the edges and a fountain filled with koi fish in the middle, and to the right was a cobbled path that led down to a nearby river. His daughter loved to go down there as she watched the stream flow by.

The Dragon Warriors walked to the field, and Zeno unfolded a blanket with a quick flap outward and placed it on the ground. Gu-En followed suit and gently placed Hiryuu down on the blanket. Everyone else sat down soon after, and together, they watched the dawning of a new day.

* * *

When Gu-En set him back on his bed that evening, Hiryuu smiled at them all and thanked them for the wonderful day. Spending time with his dragons in the courtyard and later at the river had been more fun than he had expected. It made his chest feel warm because even though they knew he couldn’t do much for them, or anyone really, anymore, they still wanted to be close to him. No matter how much they denied it, his dragons truly were adorable and so, so incredibly thoughtful. He was grateful to have met all of them.

* * *

King Hiryuu could feel it as his body weaken, his strength leaving him. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t scared, but for the sake of those around him, he would keep smiling as long as possible. He kept smiling every day until one night when he fell asleep. As the next morning came, his face was relaxed, no wrinkled corners of the eyes or miniscule dimples to be seen.

A week later, the young Prince Yak-Shi ascended the throne at nine years of age. His little sister sat beside their mother, both of their eyes glazed over as Yak-Shi offered his prayers to the gods and his father above, and when the crown was placed onto the head of ebony locks, they cheered with the rest of the people. King Hiryuu’s reigned had ended, and King Yak-Shi’s had just begun.

Hiryuu would be going on ahead first, but he would wait for eternity to see his family and cute dragons again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> The bit near the end of this chapter was a reference to ProPinkist's [Last Journey](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4669688), which is a 3k word oneshot that made me cry. You should go read it if you haven't already.
> 
> Thanks again! Feedback is much appreciated.
> 
> Click [here](https://calibreofscratch.tumblr.com/tagged/a-horde-of-dragons) to follow along with the progress of the story!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psst, can you tell I know practically nothing about ships?
> 
> Also, ugh... making up names for characters is hell for me. One of the Kum-Ji's men's name is literally just Captain "Potato", translated with the courtesy of Google Translate.
> 
> Anyway, it's not great, but I think this chapter turned out better than the previous, so I hope you all like it!
> 
> Oh and one last thing. Some of the language in this chapter made me bump the rating up to teen.

The glow of the half-risen sun greeted Zeno when his eyelids slid open. Within seconds, he was fully awake. For more than a thousand years, he’s had mixed feelings about waking up, especially with the dawn and its red hues painted the sky. However, no matter the time of day, as always, waking meant that he hadn’t ascended to the heavens to be with those he loved. Like always, waking meant that he was in a time with three other Dragon Warriors that weren’t his brothers.

Unlike always, however, Zeno felt the presence of three new Dragon Warriors appear at the exact same time. His brow creased. It was strange. Something like this had never happened before. Each new Dragon Warrior had always been born at least a few seconds apart from another Warrior of a different color.

“How unfortunate, Hakuryuu, Seiryuu, and Ryokuryuu. I truly thought you three would be the ones to serve the king.” Zeno had even gone to each of their villages to informally meet them when that pure crimson dawn had appeared sixteen years ago. It seemed that it would be the king who would have to be kept waiting this time around.

* * *

A loud crash and shouts of alarm woke Captain Gamja from his peaceful slumber. He grumbled and forced his pillow over the side of his head, wanting to avoid whatever ruckus the ship’s crew had going on outside. No such luck, however, as someone started banging on his door, yelling that the first mate said they needed to abandon ship. That immediately got his attention. Captain Gamja flung his leg off his bed and hastily put on his uniform that he had flung over the back of a chair the previous night. His dark red robe was tied with an even darker sash at the waist. He slipped on his shoes and left his cabin in record time, grabbing his sword on the way out the door. He secured his blade to his left side.

As soon as he started to make his way up to the deck, Captain Gamja had a very good guess as to why Qiang, his first mate, had ordered the men to abandon ship. He could already feel the ship tilting at an awkward angle and had lost his balance more than once.

“What the hell is going on up there!?” Gamja demanded of no one and everyone.

Once the view of the deck was in his sights, Captain Gamja’s suspicions were confirmed. They were sinking and fast. Multiple somethings had hit their ship, punching holes into the hull and creating an entrance for the water. He was taken aback, however, when he saw flames littered across the deck. Whatever had hit them had apparently been on fire.

Captain Gamja saw that while the majority of his men panicked or scrambled to save the drugs on the ship, Qiang was firing two shots from the cannons stuffed with white powder. Gamja’s shoulders slumped when he saw the white trail of smoke appear. At least someone here still had their head on them, but then again Qiang wasn’t his first mate for nothing. Hopefully, someone would see the distress signal and come quickly. Lord Kum-Ji would kill them if they lost the merchandise.

It wasn’t even dawn yet, but Gamja knew this would be a long day filled with annoyances.

* * *

An unfamiliar ache to his body woke Hiryuu. In all his time alive, as both the red dragon god and as the sickly king, Hiryuu had never felt like this. His body felt numb, and his hearing was fuzzy. His mind didn’t feel fully present either. Everything seemed far away and hollow. There was also a ringing in his head. His hearing might have been shot, but he was hyper aware of everything touching him, especially the flat surface his side was laying on and the gravitational pull at his back.

Hiryuu opened his eyes, and with a disoriented gaze, he took in his surroundings. Directly in front of him was his right hand, palm touching the inner side of his left arm. Farther past his right hand was his upturned left. Slowly, he closed his left hand, fingers bending slowly as they tingled from the cold air, and opened it back up. He did the same to his right hand, fingers dragging across wood.

As his gaze moved about, he realized that he was on a ship. He could see a mast and followed it up to see a crow’s nest, fire biting along the bottom of it. The sail must have already been consumed by the flames. Past that, he could see what he thought was the bow. It too was on fire and elevated notably higher than the mast he had seen. The ship was probably damaged in the middle and sank first. That would explain the pull on his back. The stern was probably more or less in the same condition.

At the edges of the deck, he saw people jumping overboard and hefting barrels and chests over the side. Hiryuu’s brow scrunched. Why were they jumping? Why were the dumping their cargo? Were they abandoning ship? Yes, they were on a burning ship, but that was no cause for…

Hiryuu’s eyes widened. Almost instantly, the ringing ceased, and his hearing came rushing back to him in full. He was on a burning ship that was sinking. He had to move before burning wood fell on him.

He rolled to his stomach, bringing his heavy arms under him, palms flat against the wood of the deck. Hiryuu tried to push his body up to his knees, but as he started to lift up, the wood under him started to creak and quickly collapsed, plunging him into the water.

When his head resurfaced, Hiryuu looked around, searching for something to hold him afloat. It wasn’t that he couldn’t swim – Shu-Ten would have mocked him if he couldn’t – he just didn’t have enough energy at the moment to keep treading in the water. He spotted a plank of wood nearby that, thankfully, wasn’t on fire. He swam toward it and draped himself over it. Laying on the plank, Hiryuu breathed harshly as he watched through a cloud of smoke as the rest of the ship burned and fell into the ocean.

Everything around him was covered by veils of smoke, himself included. It was only a matter of seconds before a combination of smoke and ocean water entered his throat and lungs before he blacked out.

* * *

Captain Gamja stared over the side of the ship that was captained by Xiang, hands clenched on the wood railing. Of all the goddamn ships to respond to the distress signal, why had it been this one? That blond bastard would never let him hear the end of this.

The last of the crates and barrels of drugs was being loaded onto Xiang’s ship when he heard one of his men call out to him. “Captain Gamja, look! There’s someone in the water!”

Qiang walked up to the side of the ship next to him and scrutinized the body. With a nasty look on his face, Qiang told him, “He’s not one of ours, Captain. Could be the one who destroyed our ship.”

Upon hearing those words, Gamja’s men rushed to the edge and stared daggers down below. If Qiang’s words held truth, he knew that everyone from his crew would be starving for revenge, himself included. When Captain Gamja and his men looked over, they saw a man with long hair that flew free, definitely not one of theirs. Through clenched teeth, Captain Gamja seethed, “Get him out of the water. I want him up on board and in front of me. Now.”

Within minutes, four of his men had clambered into one of Xiang’s tenders and were lowered into the water. They quickly reached the body, knocking into it with the side of the tender. They yanked the body onto the boat roughly. Gamja was pretty sure he saw one dragging him up by the hair.

“Hurry up!” he barked at them. Captain Gamja didn’t care that they were being rough with the man, but they were taking too long.

Once his men were back on deck, dropped the man’s body onto his stomach. Gamja heard the man’s head bang on the deck when it made contact. His arms were pulled behind his back and his wrists tied. The soldiers proceeded to drag him to Gamja by the elbows, undoubtedly screwing with his shoulders. Not that he could tell probably since, as Gamja noticed, he seemed to be unconscious.

Captain Gamja lifted his right hand to his sword and grasped the hilt. He was looking forward to this. The perfect punishment for sinking one of Lord Kum-Ji’s ships would be for them to slice and beat him up like he did their vessel. Then, they would dump the body into the ocean and watch it sink like the ship. The fish would be eating well in the morning.

Just as he was about to draw the blade, he looked down at the unconscious man’s head and gained a sight full of red hair. The locks seemed ethereal, light from the torches in many of the men’s hands gleamed off them. Gamja’s eyes widen, and his hand dropped to his side. His fists curled, and with words that somewhat pained him, he said, “No one touches that man.”

The response he got in return was less than pleased. There were shouts of outrage and demands that he let them have a piece of the redhead. Captain Gamja raised his hand in the air to silence them. It worked, much to Xiang’s surprise. He couldn’t get his own men to settle down for him like that.

“We’re not going to harm him,” Gamja stated calmly, “In fact, this guy’s going to make us a lovely ling. Instead of making him sleep with the fishes, we’re going to give him to Lord Kum-Ji.”

This time, Gamja was met with silence. His men shared a look that reeked of uncertainty. Captain Gamja could tell that they were hesitant to question him. However, they did nonetheless, and Qiang soon asked, “You sure, Captain? I mean, yes, he’s a little more effeminate compared to the average man, but that’s just it. He’s obviously male.”

Men from both his crew and Xiang’s nodded their heads in agreement.

“How incompetent are you, Gamja!? First, you lose your ship because of a one-man assault, and now you dare to gift a man to Lord Kum-Ji for the trafficking ring. You know he thinks selling males is a waste of time and energy. Oh man, he’ll have your stupid head! I can’t wait to see this!” Xiang’s input was both unwanted and ignored.

Undeterred, Captain Gamja confidently said, “It matters not whether he has a shaft or not. Look at his hair. It’s the color of a blazing crimson. He’s exotic, more so than any woman the Kai Empire could hope to attain through the women from Awa.”

He could tell that his men were still skeptical, but Qiang looked more on board now, as did that bastard Xiang.

Emboldened by the silence he gained, Gamja continued, “Out of everyone in this whole damn kingdom, I’ve only heard of one other person having hair like this, Princess Yona, but even that was through Lord Kum-Ji. Imagine this, what if we’re able to sell him off as being related to the cowardly king himself? Do you know how much ling we stand to make? Yes, even maybe you, Xiang.”

Gamja suddenly jutted his arm out, his hand roughly clenching the stranger’s jaw. He looked at the face and smirked, a dark settling on his features as he said, “You’re right though, Qiang, he does look pretty feminine. We could probably sell him with the rest of the women.”

He frowned as the skeptical looks came back. Xiang practically screeched when he asked, “Seriously, Gamja!? You are mad, aren’t you!?”

Rolling his eyes, he turned his wrist, allowing the others to see the face of their captive. “Just look at him. His skin’s pale and smooth, not a blemish in sight.”

He released the man’s face, watching as he fell to the deck. He quickly grabbed a wrist and yanked it high. “Even his figure is thinner than the average man’s. His body’s nowhere near as tiny and delicate as a woman’s, but I can bet you it’s a lot sturdier.”

It took a moment, but many of them finally agreed with him. Gamja grinned and faced toward the other captain. “Well, Xiang? Willing to make yourself richer at just the cost of taking us back to port?”

Xiang’s lips pursed and with an ugly look, he said, “Fine but my crew and I get half the ling he makes.”

“A fifth,” Gamja immediately disagreed, “The only part you had in this was seeing the distress call and coming here. It could have been anyone.”

“Che, maybe I should have left you out here to deal with the pirates. If not half, then a third.”

“If you must be so demanding, you can have a fourth but not a ling more.”

“Deal.” Xiang turned toward his crew and commanded they prepare to weigh anchor and for the helmsman to set a course back to Awa.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” a voice from the crow’s nest called, “I apologize but it’s hard to hear from up here. What exactly is going on now?”

Captain Gamja scoffed. Was this guy stupid or something? Ugh, his voice pissed him off, too. Scratch that, everyone on this ship that wasn’t one of his pissed him off.

Xiang yelled at his subordinate, “Were your ears not working, lookout? We’re heading back to Awa.”

The lookout inquired further, “What are you going to do when you get there?”

“Make a profit off him by giving him to Lord Kum-Ji to sell.”

A hum of contemplation came from the crow’s nest before the lookout said, “I’m afraid that you’re out of luck tonight, gentlemen. You will be neither getting anything nor going anywhere.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean!?”

The lookout slumped suddenly and began to fall out of the crow’s nest, but before he hit the deck, a rope snagged and halted his descent. Another body soon followed, but rather than falling, it flew. Daggers started raining down on them.

* * *

Captain Gi-Gan watched apathetically as the ship that belonged to Yang Kum-Ji was boarded by her dumbasses, occasionally throwing a knife at a soldier who might catch her boys off guard. Honestly, did those soldiers think they were the only ones who understood what that signal meant? It was like they forgot her pirates had been watching them for more than two years now. She and her pirates had even seen the bright flames as it had eaten away at one of their ships.

Amidst the chaos of the raid, Gi-Gan saw Maya running back toward their own ship. Her brow scrunched. She knew that Maya might not have been the strongest man on board, but he would have never run from a fight. That just wasn’t how her dumbasses worked. Once he got to the ship’s edge, he yelled up to her, “Captain, Toku just found someone down below! We don’t think he’s from around here, but we’re not sure. They have him tied up, and he looks injured. What do you want us to do with him?”

Gi-Gan frowned. This vessel was for drug smuggling, not human trafficking, so there shouldn’t be anyone besides Yang Kum-Ji’s men on board. Granted, Kum-Ji had been attracting more workers, some even from other tribes, but she knew that no matter how despicable that lot was, they didn’t turn on their own shipmates like that. Her interest was piqued, however, because she also knew that Kum-Ji didn’t bother with trafficking men. How curious. Captain Gi-Gan wanted answers.

“Bring him on board. Let me see him.”

Once the words left her mouth, Gi-Gan saw Maya run toward a staircase that presumably led to where Toku was with the prisoner.

* * *

From the tender he and the rest of the soldiers had been forced on, Captain Gamja spotted one of those damned criminals with shaggy black hair walking toward their ship with the new merchandise. With anger and a sense of urgency in his voice, Gamja called out, “Hey, pirate! Put that man down this instant!”

The pirate ignored him and kept walking away. This only served to make Gamja angrier. “Weren’t you ever taught not to steal from your superiors!? He belongs to Lord Kum-Ji! You’re stealing merchandise from the presiding Lord of Awa!”

* * *

Gi-Gan watched as Toku finally slowed to a halt and looked back at the soldier. She was slightly impressed that he had managed to ignore that soldier captain for as long as he did. Toku glared at him and snarled, “I guess all of Kum-Ji’s goons like to trade people’s lives for cash. I’m surprised none of you have been sold. Then again, you probably wouldn’t fetch a very high price.”

“Watch your tongue, scum. That man is the property of Lord Yang Kum-Ji as payment for destroying one of his ships.” Destroyed one his Kum-Ji’s ships, did he? She would have to learn more about this stranger.

Gi-Gan only scoffed in return. “Sorry ta break it ta ya pigs,” she gruffly, “but no one here belongs ta Kum-Ji.”

* * *

Hiryuu couldn’t open his eyes. They were too heavy. If he was being honest, everything felt heavy to him right now. His head, his eyes, his hair, his chest, his arms, his legs, and clothes.

His hearing seemed okay though because he could clearly hear someone when they said, “What would you like us to do with him, Captain?”

Like before, Hiryuu could still feel everything that touched him, but instead of a wooden deck or the waters of the ocean, it was something warm and dry, and it somewhat curled around him, holding him aloft in the air.

“Put him in mah cabin. He can rest in there for the time being.”

Hiryuu coughed harshly, water surging up and out of the corners of his mouth. His lungs burned and felt tight. He must have swallowed some of the smoke and water from earlier. His breath fell short, and he tried to suck more air in but ended up coughing again instead. Whatever was holding him up tightened a bit.

“Are you sure, Captain? A lady as fine as yourself shouldn’t bring a stranger to her bed.”

A person, he was being held by a person. He was being held by a stranger. A stone seemed to appear in his stomach. Never had he truly been at the mercy of others, not even when he was sick at the palace and especially not when the red dragon god resided in him.

The woman hmphed. “Whoever Ah bring to mah bed is mah own business, ya dumbass.”

He wasn’t able to hear anything else when unconsciousness came to greet him once more. That woman sure was bold though.

* * *

“That’s true enough,” Jae-Ha shrugged, “So who’s the guy lucky enough to be sharing quarters with the captain?”

He stepped around Rowen to get a look at the mysterious newcomer. So far, all he had seen was his legs when he was being toted on board by Toku.

Jae-Ha couldn’t help but curse his life when he saw the stranger’s red hair and fell to one leg. His right leg was killing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys, thanks for reading!
> 
> Drop a comment below to say what you liked or what you think I could improve on. Feedback is greatly appreciated!
> 
> Thanks again!
> 
> Click [here](https://calibreofscratch.tumblr.com/tagged/a-horde-of-dragons) to follow along with the progress of the story!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback is greatly appreciated.
> 
> Click [here](https://calibreofscratch.tumblr.com/tagged/a-horde-of-dragons) to follow along with the progress of the story!


End file.
